This blog was started on the 1st of May 2007 and aims to provide information about the birds of Islay.

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Thursday 13th December

Yesterday down on the Oa, Michal had a Golden Eagle and also a count of 60 Fieldfares. Michal was told me that someone had been saying to him that the other day down close to "smelly corner" that he had seen a big brown bird with yellow legs, could it have been one of the White tailed Sea Eagles? Today down at Rockside, there were around 150 Greenland Whitefronts on one of the grass fields. Round at Ballinaby, I had quick look through the Whitefronts present and saw 2 with neck collars on, but stupid me had forgotten to take my scope with me to allow me to read the said collars... Bob had 2 small flocks of Pale bellied Brent Geese down close to Gortan totalling 60 birds in all. He also reported through to say that he has been seeing a Golden Eagle recently close to Port Charlotte, spoofing the geese present there. James returned from the mainland this afternoon, and had from the ferry, a Golden Eagle flying from Islay over to Jura. Back here at home, and the birds have been busy eating away at the food put out for them, so much so there were around 40 Chaffinches there this morning along with the others... Certainly as large a number of Chaffinch that I can recall here at one time